Jack Is Onboard

The ILCA's class representative on the Race Committee boat is an important, sometimes very important position at any large Lightning regatta. For anyone who doesn't know, the Class Rep's job is to assist the regatta PRO with delivering racing that broadly falls within the comfort level of our Association members who have traveled to the event. Lightning sailors are very lucky to have had the benefit of some outstanding Race Officers serving as PRO at our events over the last several years. It's always amazing to listen to them to coordinate their on-water armadas over the VHF when they let us listen.

Now, PROs obviously come in all different shapes, sizes and psychological make-ups. Sometimes, they are experts on local weather conditions and amazing sailors in their own rights. Sometimes they have recently returned from running the America's Cup regatta. Rarely have they attended the last several Lightning North American Championships. This is where the Class Representative enters. This person provides Lightning context. The Sailing Instructions (which likely the PRO helped author or at least approved) will provide course options. The PRO might ask the Class Rep if selecting the  5 Leg W/L course option and using the upper limit of the leg lengths is appropriate for the second race of the day on an occasion when the breeze is 17-21mph and the waves are 11' high. The Class Rep might reflect generally on his/her perception of the condition of the stomach muscles in the middle of the Green Fleet and say "Go for it!" Or they might suggest the lower end of the leg length...Or they might suggest the 4 Leg option...or they might be throwing up on the low side and request a moment to compose themselves.

PROs...we need them on that wall. They need to be very confident. They made space in their schedules two years previously because they are great and their schedules are packed. The regatta organizers are lucky to have obtained their services. They have their teams allocated precisely the way they need them organized to respond to changing weather conditions and get us racing early and often. They can probably tell you every on on their race committee's standard lunch order. They don't know the Class Representative from Adam. Fitting into the culture on the RC boat can be a real challenge. Class Rep-dom is an art. A necessary talent is the ability to become selectively invisible, reappearing at precisely the right moment to have max impact.

Bill Clausen has been our Class Rep at major regattas for years. He understands the vibe of this class...this tribe, as well as anyone in the world. He's been on the Executive Committee of the Class for longer than many of us have been paying our annual dues. But Bill is also the Chief Measurer and he's also a great resource as a regatta photographer. He's volunteered to come out to Sheboygan to the Midwest District Regatta 45 days before the NAs to help our Measurement Team do a dress measurement rehearsal. He doesn't really need the Class Rep gig this year. How to replace him...

The job needs class history. It needs a sense of humor. It needs someone who has experience dealing with stressed/crazy people in stressful/crazy situations. Ideally the person would be uncommonly handsome. The job is just crying out for someone like... Jack Mueller. Thank heavens that when Todd Wake and Bill Faude were prowling the boat park at the Wild Oyster regatta with an "Open to Beg" job opportunity for a NAs Class Rep, Jack was up for it.

(Thanks to Priscilla Parker for this great Jack shot from the Wild Oyster Regatta!!)

Here's a little background on Jack:
• He lives adjacent to a great lake in Cleveland so he knows big water.
• In 1967 with Carl Eichenlaub, he started building Lightnings.
• Between that time and 1998, he built between 700 and 1000 of them.
• He has sailed in the class for about 60 years.
• He has won both St. Pete and Savannah stops on the Southern Circuit.
• He has finished in the top 3 in 6 North American Championships.
• He was runner up to Bill Shore in the Lightning World Championship in Finland.
• He currently sails Lighting 14860 and is going to sail the Masters NAs in Sheboygan.
• He is the father of Jay Mueller (see the previous paragraph where I noted that experience dealing with crazy people in tough situations is a key skill set for this job...)
• He smiles a lot.

We're so happy to have him on the RC boat next August as a resource for PRO Rich Richelsdorfer and the great RC team from Sail Sheboygan. You will learn more about Rich in due time on this blog.

Jack Mueller. Class Representative!! A position you might not have thought much about. But one we're psyched to have filled with someone who will do it so well. You really should consider attending this regatta!